Validation of Conceptual Hypersonic Design Tool Framework Using X-15 Case Study
Daniel C. Gochenaur, Dalton M. Baier, Andrew J. Zakrajsek · AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum · 2020
Traditional aircraft design follows a process in which the design task is typically separated into multiple disciplines that are not fully integrated until the end of the design process. While this process has proven to work decently for subsonic and supersonic aircraft, it fails for highly integrated hypersonic systems. Recent hypersonic design research being completed at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has yielded an independent design framework that gives researchers the ability to rapidly generate and analyze hypersonic designs. By using the X-15 hypersonic research aircraft for comparison, this study sought to validate a subset of this framework for conceptual design. In the current framework, Engineering Sketch Pad (ESP) serves as the parametric geometry engine used to generate vehicle models. NextSizer serves as the primary weights and sizing tool, and Configuration Based Aerodynamics (CBAero) is used to analyze the aerodynamic response of a design. The Rocket Engine Design Tool for Optimal Performance – Lite (REDTOP-Lite) serves as a liquid fuel rocket engine analysis and optimization tool, while QuickShot is used as the trajectory optimization program. These tools make up a toolset that flow into the full hypersonic design framework. This toolset was used to generate results for the X-15 which were compared to flight test and experimental data. A review of each hypersonic design tool’s use and results for the X-15 are described. The tools considered showed good agreement with X-15 experimental data for use in early-stage design. Further verification and validation of the toolsets are needed to cover the range of hypersonic system designs (scramjet based vehicles as an example), but designers can have initial confidence that the current tools and framework will produce results that agree with the data generated by a rocket-powered hypersonic vehicle.